Maravi

Itezhi-tezhi should remain in S/Province - Munkombwe

Itezhi-tezhi should remain in S/Province - Munkombwe
By Ernest Chanda and Allan Mulenga
Tue 14 Feb. 2012, 13:01 CAT

VETERAN politician Daniel Munkombwe says the government should take back Itezhi-tezhi district to Southern Province because of complications in chiefs' boundaries. And Alliance for Democracy and Development president Charles Milupi has opposed President Michael Sata's decision to move Itezhi-tezhi and Chirundu from Southern Province to Central and Lusaka provinces respectively.

Commenting on President Sata's recent detachment of Chirundu and Itezhi-tezhi districts from the Southern Province, Munkombwe said the move would cause complications.

Munkombwe said while he did not have a problem with the President taking Chirundu to Lusaka Province, he saw problems with Itezhi-tezhi.

"I don't want to speak for those in government, but I have my own view. Chirundu, I have no problem. Itezhi-tezhi, if they can suggest that chief Shezongo and chief Musungwa remain in the Southern Province because they're part of Southern Province; Kafue (River) then would be the natural boundary," said Munkombwe.

"And the four chiefs on the western part of Kafue River would be in the Central Province; that would make sense. But the two chiefs, Shezongo and chief Musungwa, should remain in the Southern Province because they can't cross the river to come to the Central Province. That is the only comment that I can make. I have no problem with anything else."

In a memorandum to Secretary to the Cabinet Evans Chibiliti, President Sata directed that a government gazette notice be issued to move the recently created Chirundu district from Southern Province to Lusaka and Itezhi-tezhi district to Central Province.

President Sata consequently directed that the Surveyor General moves in quickly to align the boundaries of the two districts on the new provinces to which they have been re-located.

He said the re-alignment was part of his robust programme to give practical expression to the decentralisation programme and eventual devolution of power to districts.

"It is a fact that a district such as Itezhi-tezhi is difficult to administer and pose huge logistical problems to be serviced because it is poorly located from the central administration point in Southern Province. For instance, to efficiently access Itezhi-tezhi, people have to pass through Lusaka and Central provinces," said Munkombwe.

"It is for this reason that this government sees an urgent need to discontinue this sad scenario which has denied our people the much needed development for many years now."

And Milupi said the realignment of districts would create animosity among indigenous people in the affected areas.

He said detaching Itezhi-tezhi from Southern Province would be dividing people, families and ethnic groupings.

"The government should not do things that unsettle the whole community. There should be reasons for whatever needs to be done. If you are going to go into the province because they didn't vote for you, or they didn't give you sufficient votes, or you think they are opposed to you and you are going to dismember them by removing districts that everybody is seeing, why are you doing that? No matter how solid the reasons that you attach to that, it will leave a sour taste in the mouth. For example, in Southern Province we fully know that Southern Province has been solid with the UPND. Even us as ADD we didn't perform very well in that province," he said.

Milupi urged the government to set priorities when it comes to policy issues.

"Some of the things being done to me are not a priority, but there are a lot of priority areas for me; fighting poverty, creation of employment, especially among the youths; empowering many of our citizens; these should have been priorities for which I am not seeing policy direction," said Milupi.

Labels: CHARLES MILUPI, DANIEL MUNKOMBWE, DISTRICTS, PROVINCES, SOUTHERN PROVINCE

posted by MrK @ 4:07 PM